Ukrainian forces said on Telegram that the attack, launched by Russia with Iranian-made Shahid drones, targeted the southern regions of Odessa, Kherson and Mikolaev, the eastern region of Donetsk and the western region of Khmelnytsky.

"During the air attack, the enemy also fired an Kh-59 guided air missile towards Zaporizhzhye (south) and an Kh-31P anti-radar missile from the waters of the Black Sea. They were "brought down".

In Odessa, home to a large Black Sea port, a drone wreck damaged port buildings, a city district, an out-of-service administrative building and a warehouse, triggering a fire that was "quickly extinguished", according to Ukraine's Southern Command.

No casualties were reported, it said.

Russia launches drone and missile attacks almost every night against Ukraine, which is usually mostly shot down by its air defenses.

Ukraine, for its part, regularly bombs Russian border areas or cities in its territory under Russian occupation such as Donetsk, and several marches have targeted Moscow over the past year.

Ukrainians held Christmas masses on Sunday, celebrating the occasion on December 25 for the first time instead of January 7, like the majority of the world's Orthodox community, in a move that reflects the dedication of distancing itself from Russia.